Hackberry Nipplegall Maker Identification and Life Cycle
This small, cicada-like psyllid causes the nipple-shaped galls commonly seen on hackberry leaves, though most galls don't seriously harm the tree.
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Identification
Adult psyllids are about 4 to 5 mm long and look like miniature cicadas. The tiny, yellowish nymphs rapidly become enveloped by gall tissue and are rarely seen.
Nipplegalls are light green, nipple-shaped, and about 4 mm in diameter. A related form, blistergalls, are 3 to 4 mm in diameter, green, and slightly raised.
Life cycle
Psyllids overwinter as adults in bark cracks and crevices. After mating in spring, females lay eggs on new growth, and nymphs feed on that new growth all summer, causing galls to form on the undersides of leaves. In September, large numbers of adults emerge.
How much of a threat are the galls?
Although leaf, leafstalk, and stem galls are common and sometimes unsightly, most do not seriously damage the host tree — for the majority of hackberry trees, nipplegalls are more of a cosmetic issue than a health concern.
